Fiish-y Stew, Just 4 You

I noted, in a posting on Facebook, that I had made a fish stew, a bit of an "appetizer", on Thanksgiving Day. Perhaps it was more of a Turkey Alternative, as I knew of the inevitable leftover bird dishes that awaited us.

The stew was good, good according to more than just me. And, I had a few requests for the recipe, a result of the Facebook post. And, since I had promised, in the beginning, to regularly post recipes on this blog, here goes.

As with almost everything I cook:
"First, You Take an Onion".
In ths case, you'll need a couple medium to large ones. I like sweet yellow onions, Vidalias when I can get them. But, pick whatver kind floats your boat.
Do I need to tell you to peel it? I hope not.
Slice the onions  into quarter-inch thick "wheels". Do not separate, or split up, the circles as you would if you were making onion rings. You want the onions to look like thick slices of salami that would go onto a sandwich.
Next, wash, then slice medium to large red potatoes the same way you did the onions. Do not peel the taters....the skin is good and it's good for you. Just wash them well.
With skinless filets of fish, you should "chunk" them into half-inch wide pieces. What kind of fish? You can use a variety. I like speckle trout, stripers, red fish (aka puppy drum, red drum, reds). If you catch them, so much the better. If you have to resort to the fish market, either a "real" one, or the ones at your local supermarket, take a look at the eyes of the fish before opening the wallet. If they're glassy, move on. If the fish has a strong fish-y odor, move on. If you push the flesh with your thumb and it has no "life" to it, move on. You MUST start with a good quality fish.
Like I stated, I like my fish skinless. Makes the stew less greasy. If you don't know how to skin one, have the fish market do it. I'll post an article, soon, on the art of skinning fish.
Ok, back to the stew.
I use an 8-qt stock pot. Seems to be enough room for most of my stews. I do have a 16 quart pot in case the stew, soup or chili is going to be the main course and it's for a big group, but that's usually a bit of overkill.
Go ahead and fry some bacon. Yes, I know. "Bacon"? Good for seasoning and stuff. And, as long as you don't eat it every day...like my late 92 year old grandmother did...you should live a long and healthy life.
Fry it until it's crispy. When it cools, crumble it up.
Now comes the "layering" process.

• Place a layer of tater wheels on the bottom, followed by a layer of onion wheels, followed by a layer of fish chunks.
• Salt and pepper to your liking.
• Repeat until you're about three inches from the top of the pot.
• Add two cans of chicken stock.
• Add enough water to just cover the ingredients.

You now have a choice. If you like your dishes "seasoned" (that usually means "spicy"), you can add finely diced peppers of your choice. I like a mixture of sweet banana and jalapeno peppers. Remove the seeds from both, and remove the white "veins". You'll retain some "heat", and lots of flavor. You can sprinkle this on top of the last couple layers. Too much, and you'll overpower the stew.

• NEVER, EVER even THINK of stirring the ingredients during the cooking process!      Just Don't!

On a stove, start out at medium-high. Once it starts to boil, lower the heat to allow for a slow simmer. It's a good time to cover the pot, but don't just cover it and walk away. If it starts to boil, you'll likely have a stove that's gonna be a mess to clean up. So, watch the pot, and if it starts to boil up, uncover it, then reduce the heat a bit.

Depending on the amount of stew, your pot, and the stove you're using, cooking times will vary from a half hour to an hour, or so. Using a fork, check a potato after 30 minutes. Once that potato is fork tender, your stew is (almost) good to go. At least, this phase is ready.

You still have another option. If you like shrimp or crab meat (real crab meat, not that stuff they call imitation crab), you can add some to your stew. Remember, shrimp doesn't need much cooking. Drop a handful in, and let them turn pink. Don't let them hang out in the hot bath too long or you'll be chewing on leather. Same goes for crab meat. I like fresh claw meat, but don't put in too much. It's not needed. 

But. You're not ready to serve it, yet.

Here's the kicker. Once everyone is assembled, bowl-in-hand, start cracking and dropping in eggs. What!?! Yep, drop in a half dozen, or so. They will poach in the hot concoction. Give them 2-3 minutes of cooking, then...for the first time, you should stir, gently, the stew. With a stout ladle, dip from the bottom of the pot, making sure to get a good mixture of all of the incredients. Gently ladle it around to mix it up, making sure to leave the floating eggs intact on the surface.

That done, dip out a bowl of stew, then add a poached egg to the top of the bowl. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.

Have salt, pepper, and hot sauce available for those who want it.

Great any time, but really good when there's a nip in the air.


This just in...
...a good friend, and my "other" boss, Bill Tarplee (Tideline Marine in Jacksonville NC) sent this e-mail detailing what sounds like another good stew recipe. And, you can bet I'll give it a whirl, as soon as he and I go find some fish:

Raeford,
   As I said before the fish stew was great. Another similar but slightly defferent result comes from the way an old friend taught me -- incidently, his family lived on the east side of Pamlico sound north of Adams Creek  and survived a Hurricane in the 30's on the roof of their house, followed by disassembling what remained, transporting by skiff to Oriental, and rebuilding.
  In a large skillet fry some bacon until crisp - pull out the bacon and save. Add chunks of "ice" (irish) potatoes to the hot bacon grease and brown - don't try to cook- just brown the outsides. Remove potatoes to a stew pot with water to cover. Add salt and black pepper to taste. bring to light boil, then turn down the heat.  Back to the skillet - if you have enoug grease proceed, if not fry some more bacon. Add slices of onion to hot grease and brown. Removeand save. if you have enough grease continue, if not fry more bacon. In the hot grease brown chunks of fish - drum,  red or black or mullet are preferred because they are a little coarser textured than trout or flounder but you can use whatever is available.  When fish are done ( the potatoes should be done by now - check them and cook longer if necessary). Dump fish and remaining grease in to the potatoe pot. Dump in the browned onions. Break up the crispy bacon and add to the mixture. Stir and simmer until onions are fully done.
  All this takes quite a while and I don't know if it is the beer that often accompanies the preparation or the good friends that are usually participating in the event but it has always come out great!  The only complaints I have ever had dealt with the amount of pepper!
BT

Pirates on the High Seas

We often glamourize the pirate lifestyle, making heroes of those pirates of yester-year. Without going into the legal vs. illegal aspects of privateers and pirates, I have come across some video that you might find, eh, rather interesting. The modern day Somalia pirates have been a problem for vessels, large and small, for quite a few years. It seems that all of the modern technology has not been able to handle the problem, mostly due to political correctness.
Until now.
Seems those bad dudes, with their Russian AK-47's and other small arms, ticked off Russia . They took over a Russian vessel. Much to their surprise, Russian commandoes responded. And, enforcing the laws, or lack of, on the high seas, the commandoes proceeded to secure the pirate "ship", and secured the pirates to their vessel.
In this video, which is obviously shot by the commandoes to document their work, you'll see the pirate ship join Davey Jones in his locker.
Virtually all of the audio is Russian. If you don't speak-a the language, I think the pictures can be considered Lima Charlie. That's Loud and Clear.  There is one point where a pirate, in English, proclaims that their boat is a fishing boat. Judge for yourself. The AK's, I would venture, are to protect them from sharks. Yeah, right.
I would bet that the word is making the rounds of the Somalia barbary coast watering holes: let's not target any more Russian boats. Those guys don't understand political butt-kissing like Americans.
Yes, I know. Our Seal Team did an outstanding job when they eliminated several pirates. But, this was done after so much Washington-interference that it was pretty much a joke. I'm not necessarily an admirerer of Russian ways, but High Seas Justice could being a quick end to the piracy that is running unchecked off Somalia. 
http://true-turtle.livejournal.com/85315.html

Ham Radio

I'm sure a lot of you have heard of it. Might even be a few "hams" out there. Officially known as Amateur Radio, it's been around for a long, long time. It was made up of tinkerers, those who like to build their own radios, modify military surplus radios, and whatever.

Hams have been the communications lifeblood during natural disasters from the beginning. When all forms of comemrcial communications, these tinkerers managed to get a rig on the air and make contact with the outside world. And, they are still in existence, in spite of the internet, cell phones, satellite phones, and all of the modern marvels of today's communications world. You know, the devices that all too often fail to work during times of disaster.

I was recently reacquanited with amateur radio. I had my first "ticket" (license) back in 1961, as a kid, I will add. I "worked" stations (other hams) all over the world from my "shack" out back. It had to be there because the equipment was pretty large and would have consumed way too much of my bedroom. My transmitter occupied the biggest chunk of space, and managed to provide enough heat, a byproduct of very large vaccuum tubes, to keep the shack warm in the coldest winter months.

I graduated to a much smaller combo transmitter/receiver as I approached high school graduation. This transceiver found it's way into my bedroom, as it was small enough to fit on a card table in a corner. From that little corner, I talked with other hams all over the country, in fact, all over the world. I still have many of the QSL cards (postcards we exchanged "confirming" our conversations) from England, Germany, South Africa, Antartica, Puerto Rica, and dozens of other countries.

Like I said, I have found myself involved in this wonderful hobby once again. I passed an FCC exam (there's some technical stuff on it), found out my original call sign had become available, applied for it, and I am, once again, WA4HMR.

It's amazing to hear and reach out and talk with perfect strangers again, strangers that are fast becoming friends. My first "long distance" contact this week was a gentleman in Omaha. All of this with a transceiver slightly larger than today's C-B radios. Amazing advance in technology. I intend to mount this rig on my boat, and I'll be able to use it in my truck on long travels. Much more entertaining than listening to commercial radio (or even satellite radio), More personal than any social networks on the internet...you actually carry on conversations with people of all kinds.

If you've ever thought about taking up this hobby, I can highly recommend it. Ham clubs all over give free classes. There are several license categories, some requiring the barest of knowledge to get started. To be able to work folks, as I do, all over the world, you will want to "move on up" to a higher class of license so you can work on the HF (high frequency) bands. You'll learn, soon enough, that each "band of frequencies" has its own characteristics. At different times of the day and year, different parts of the world are at your door. If yu ahve an interest, check out the web...you can likely find a club in your community. And, you can bet that hams are the absolute friendliest people in the world, always willing to help a fellow ham...and, they want no money for it.

Now, that's a unqiue group of people.

Pubs and Clubs

From time to time, along comes a video that is absolutely moving and inspiring. Such is the one I've attached here. I get lots of videos from all sorts of folks. I look at them. Well, honestly, I look at the beginning of ALL of them. But, as I'm sure it is with you, there's not a lot of new stuff making the rounds of the internet that I haven't seen before, or seen something pretty much like it. True enough, a lot of them are worth seeing again, and I do enjoy them...again. My wife says I can look at them a second time because I've reached an age that doesn't allow me to remember seeing them the first go-round. Saves money on buying books, I'll tell you. And, at this rate, I never have to see re-runs on TV. They're all new, as far as I'm concerned.

Which brings me to the topic of "age". What is "old age"? Ask a 16 year old, and he'll tell you it's time to dump in the dirt on folks 30 or older. Brats. What's old age, I think, is a state of mind. True, there are things that some older folks can't do any more. Of course, I know a lot of 30-year olds who could NEVER do some of the things I've done in the last five years.

To move on to this video. It's a clip from Britain's Got Talent. Yeah, me too. I've seen all of the 3, 8 and 12 year olds performing like they were 20 year old stars. Natural talent, they say. And, "they" are likely right. There's a lot of untapped natural talent running around out there.

Then, along comes another video clip. However, this one's not about a pre-teen wannabe star. This woman has....well, you really, really need to "take 5", crank up the speakers, and give a looksee and listen. If you're not impressed, I'll give you double your money back.

http://uk.video.yahoo.com/watch/7464575?fr=yvmtf

Gettin' Frisky at Airports

Wanna get frisked by a $17,000 a year airport security guy/gal? Talk about a cheap thrill. The minimum wage for a TSA staffer is a tad over $17k. If you protest going through the new government approved X-ray screening devices coming to an airport near you (already in a few cities), then you have two alternatives:

1. subject yourself to up-close and very personal searches
2. drive your car, take a taxi, ride a bus, or hitch a ride

No doubt, you've followed on-line, on the tube, and in the newspapers, the reports of the one young guy who vehemently protested the X-rayed screening as well as the body search.  If not, check it out at your convenience:  http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/15/california.airport.security/index.html

Ok, so you say "no big deal". In the X-ray screening, this is what the unseen TSA screeners see:

The TSA bureaucrats say these images will NOT be saved, and no names will be attached to them.

I believe them, don't you?

From GIZMOTO:

 

One Hundred Naked Citizens: One Hundred Leaked Body Scans

At the heart of the controversy over "body scanners" is a promise: The images of our naked bodies will never be public. U.S. Marshals in a Florida Federal courthouse saved 35,000 images on their scanner. These are those images.
A Gizmodo investigation has revealed 100 of the photographs saved by the Gen 2 millimeter wave scanner from Brijot Imaging Systems, Inc., obtained by a FOIA request after it was recently revealed that U.S. Marshals operating the machine in the Orlando, Florida courthouse had improperly-perhaps illegally-saved images of the scans of public servants and private citizens.
We understand that it will be controversial to release these photographs. But identifying features have been eliminated. And fortunately for those who walked through the scanner in Florida last year, this mismanaged machine used the less embarrassing imaging technique.
Yet the leaking of these photographs demonstrates the security limitations of not just this particular machine, but millimeter wave and x-ray backscatter body scanners operated by federal employees in our courthouses and by TSA officers in airports across the country. That we can see these images today almost guarantees that others will be seeing similar images in the
future. If you're lucky, it might even be a picture of you or your family.

If you think that the naked images of a personality, i.e. movie star, won't be sold to a tabloid, then you really need to visit the supermarket. Check out the reading material while you wait to pay for your groceries.
Back to the normal among us. What part of your privacy are you willing to sacrifice? I doubt there's anyone who doesn't want to "fly safe", knowing that our government has taken "all reasonable means" to make sure that is the case. We also want to be safe and secure in our homes, in our cars, and on out boats. But, at what personal sacrifices of privacy does government intervention become ridiculous? We could, after all, build cars that cannot be blown up by bombs,  boats that would never sink, and houses that are burglar proof. But, the cost and inconvenience of such an undertaking would take away all of our fun. Don't even mention the expense. That's not what America is about.

Back to the grope-and-grin processes. I have my doubts that all of us will be treated equally at the screening points. I doubt, seriously, that our TSA guys will be groping on a fully "costumed" foreign national. You know what I men. After all, that would not be politically incorrect, and the State Department, the President's press secretary, and France would have a hissy-fit.. But, goodness sakes. Your mothers, grandmothers, sisters and daughters are all fair game. It's like the guy in the video said: this is nothing more than sexual assault. He's right. In North Carolina (and, I'm sure many other states), anyone groping another's private areas are indeed likely to be arrested.

Soft Light

For us shutterbugs (wonder why "enthusiasts" for certain hobbies get cute names, but shooting enthusiasts are labeled as "gun nuts"?), soft light can bring out the best in us.
This morning, for example, as a "front" approaches, the morning sunrise was mostly covered by clouds. But, this diffused light did wonders for a naturally contrasty subject, such as the annual "changing of the leaves".

Maple leaves are great to shoot. With "backlit soft light", and positioned against a background, with a small aperature and a long lens (this renders the background out of focus), the leaf really stands out.

You don't necessarily have to travel far to get a good fall picture. This was taken this morning in our backyard. Selective compostion is the key. The white adds a lot to the already colorful scene.

I could use PhotoShop to rid this image of the rather unsightly but necessary utility pole and power lines. Of, I could have driven to a location that would have allowed me to capture these gorgeous clouds "without interference".

The last of our mums for this year. Actually, this is one we saved from our wedding in 2006. It was a rather small critter back then, one of a whole bunch we got for our backyard nuptials. It has held up rather well, and continues to get bigger each year. Remind me to show you pictures of our rosemary "tree" one day. Need some for that Christmas prime rib? We have plenty.

Get up early, folks. You never know what the day will bring. The half hour before sunrise, through a half hour after the sun makes its appearance, as well as the last half hour before sunset through the first half hour after sunset, are known as the Magic Hours. Best times of the day for photographers. Take advantage of it. You'll never, ever find two days that are exactly alike.

A final picture...from a couple days back. A beautiful morning, it was. Didn't see the sun because the fog had rolled in.

                                                    Weather makes for great pictures.



Waterfront Pictures

You really are missing life if you don't take the time to ride down New River from Jacksonville (NC) at sunset. It might be a little cool, but that's what jackets, sweatshirts and the like are for. You don't have to go far, just a little ways will do the trick. Be sure to take your camera. You won't be disappointed.

Sunday night, along New River, down to Southweat Creek. For no reason whatever. And, if you don't have a boat, I'm sure you know someone who does.

Lovely Homes

Beautiful Boats

Fabulous Feeling

What a daily view they have

Reflections

Sunset Flight of the Gulls

Conservative or Liberal

A cute story was sent to me this weekend. Kinda explains the definition so anyone can understand it.

 A young woman was about to finish her first year of college.  Like so
many others her age, she considered herself to be very liberal, and among
other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more
government programs, in other words redistribution of wealth.
 She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch
conservative, a feeling she openly expressed.  Based on the lectures that she had
participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that
her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he
thought should be his.
 One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher
taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs.
 The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be
the truth and she indicated so to her father.  He responded by asking how
she was doing in school.
 Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and
let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a
very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no
time to go out and party like other people she knew.  She didn't even have time
for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she
spent all her time studying.
 Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Audrey doing?"
 She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by.  All she takes are easy
classes, she never studies and she barely has a 2.0 GPA.  She is so popular on
campus; college for her is a blast.  She's always invited to all the
parties and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too
hung over."
 Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's
office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who
only has a 2.0.  That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that
would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA."
 The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired
back, "That's a crazy idea, how would that be fair!  I've worked really
hard for my grades!  I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work!
Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree.  She played while I worked
my tail off!"
 The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the
conservative side of the fence."

I thought you might enjoy it.

Let's Talk About Ethanol and Your Boat

Who's idea was this? A tree hugger? Nothing against tree huggers, mind you, but I still think we should eat our corn, not destroy our boat motors with their by-product.

Having been the victim of Ethanol Poisoning, I have come to learn a little about it's killer impact on engines. In general, over a period of time (a lot shorter than you might think), ethanol begins to break down. It becomes, in simplistic terms, gasoline and alcohol. Alcohol, as most know, absorbs moisture, aka "water". Moisture from the air, or empty space inside your gas tank. This gasoline/water mixture, number one, doesn't burn well, to say the least. And, the alcohol acts as a cleaning agent, loosening solid particles in your tanks. Back to that in a moment.

Another problem is that alcohol/ethanol fuel can deteriorate older style fuel hoses from the inside. Where you can't see what's going on. Twenty-some years back, during the BIG SNOW of 1989, I had the brilliant idea to use rubbing alcohol, which freezes at a much lower temperature than water, to removed caked ice from my windshield wiper blades. Worked like a champ, I might add. Except that I had to replace the rubberized wiper blades pretty fast, as the alcohol was devouring them.

Ok, back to my thoughts. The particles from your gas tank, as well as the particles from the insides of your fuel lines, have no place to go other than you engines. Carburetors are made up of all sorts of little holes, called jets. These tiny orifices will not pass solid particles. Once clogged, they're much like your body's arteries when built-up plaque breaks loose. Heart attack or stroke time, ya'll.

Ok. What to do to prevent this. First, install a water-fuel separator near your engine. They're a lot less expensive than having a top-notch mechanic rebuild your carbs when the damage is done. They look a bit like a car's oil filter. Make sure they're easily accessible because you should check them REGULARLY...and that doesn't mean every three years.

How to check them. Remove the filter using a...yep, you guessed it... "filter wrench. Available at any auto parts store. Dump the contents of the filter into a clean, clear glass jar. A quart "moonshine-style" jar is perfect for this (and, if you don't know what that is, ask your neighbor, Bubba). Let it set in a corner for a little while, until any particles have time to sink to the bottom; and any water, which is heavier than gasoline, settles to the bottom. Don't know how to tell the difference between water and gasoline? There's no way of missing it. At the bottom of the jar, water will be a cloudy substance. Once you've seen it, you'll have no doubt what it looks like. Do not be surprised if you find a small amount of water. That just means your filter is working well, and has picked up any condensation that formed in the tank. A lot of water, however, means there could be a problem lurking. Or, it could mean your filter hasn't been changed in a while. If the liquid has no particles and is mostly gasoline, you can re-install it, and feel pretty good about the contents of your gas tank. More on this shortly.

But, don't become complacent. If you don't use your boat much, such as during the winter months, the ethanol can continue to break down, and moisture will be absorbed. All gasoline should be treated with a fuel stabilizer. This will not STOP the degradataion, but it will slow it down. I use a brand called Startron (and, no, I'm not on their payroll...at least, not yet). It has worked well for me since my twin 175's suffered a near fatal Ethanol Attack. Another good brand is Marine Stabil. I just go with what has proven itself over the past two years.

The real experts out there will explain, in more scientific language, the damages that can occur when using untreated ethanol. I don't generally understand too much of that, but I do know that it's bad for boat engines. Of course, ethanol-free gasoline would be great. And, there are places that advertise they have it. I've also talked with gasoline distributors who tell me they fill up the tanks at gas stations and marinas alike, using fuel from the same source. I'm told there are kits available that will allow you to test the gasoline at your friendly gas station or marina, and actually tell you what percentage of the fuel is alcohol. Personally, I find it more convenient to treat my gasoline, and I sleep better.

I told you that you should check your fuel filters regularly. And, you should replace them at least once a year. The more fuel you burn, the more often they should be changed. They're much like swimming pool cartridges...they can become saturated after a while, and will eventually allow water and particles to pass through to your carbs.

A BAD, bad thing.   

Ever Wonder??

This WWII poster should be dusted off, reprinted and redistributed.
That is a good use for tax dollars that I would not object to.
Unfortunately, the "current, but temporary administration" won't allow such a thing to happen.
Perhaps it's time for the private sector to take this on as a project.

Ever wonder how we...the United States Government...ended up with so many "czars" in our government? I grew up during the Cold War, and always thought czars (who were pretty much Russian, in those days) were our enemies. In looking over the list of czars imbedded in the current administration's government, perhaps I was right in my thinking.

Ever wonder why city and county governments steal/purchase viable, tax-producing businesses, and create more government wasted space? When a privately owned, tax-producing property (the "tax base) is bought by a local government, it no longer generates tax dollars. And, of course, the "need for additional space" results in expensive building projects, fraught with government delays, along with the additional heating, air conditioning, lighting and other costs. In order to compensate for the 1) loss of tax base 2) construction of offices that may not even be needed, especially in these economically challenging times, and 3) perpetually increasing expenses to operate the offices, local governments will have to increase the tax rate. Afterall, someone's gotta pick up the tab.

I point to Jacksonville (NC) as an example. A retail business, located adjacent to the Police/Fire Hqs, was purchased a year or more ago. The building was demolished. A very nice chain link fence was erected around this vacant lot for some future purpose or another. Word is that additional office space was needed.

So, for a year, no taxes have been collected on the property/business. It cost taxpayers to have the building removed and a very nice chain link fence to be erected. I guess, with a little razor wire at the top, it could serve as a temporary holding facility while the county's jail is being constructed.

All-the-while, just a few blocks away, within walking distance (and, goodness, walking would certainly help a lot of us), there sets a lot of vacant buildings. Yes, many, if not most/all, should be flattened. But, the point is, they set there. Doing no one any good. Not only are they ugly, they're unsafe. Perhaps safe havens for bums and junkies. I don't know, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to go through one with a weapon loaded with rat shot. And, maybe more.

Ahhh...a solution comes to mind. Light bulbs are lighting up. Why not sell, to the highest bidder, the current Police/Fire Hqs, along with that vacant lot that was once a pawn shop, and MOVE the whole mess downtown, occupying the now empty spaces along Court Street, New Bridge Street, and Old Bridge Street? The Law Enforcement community...Police and Sheriff...could be close together. Separate, but close. The City, I'm sure, could get a pretty penny for the property along US 17. And, it could be a real beginning to the revitalization of Downtown Jacksonville, sans the topless bars, tattoo parlors, and massage parlors.

But, I'm absolutely sure that an historic group would object as places like Jazzland, the Twilight Lounge, and countless other historial landmarks would be lost forever.

Fishing

You hear some fishermen gripe and complain that the fishing "ain't near as good as it once't was". I'm not so sure about that. According to some folks, they don't catch as many fish as they did 30 years ago. Perhaps that's because they don't go fishing as much as they used to. And, perhaps they ONLY remember the good days of fishing 30-some years back. You know, the days when they actually filled the bucket with fish.

Thinking back over the decades, I can't seem to recall any bad days for me. No doubt, there were days when I came home empty-handed. But, I tend to forget those times, instead recalling the trips to Cape Lookout with my dive buddies, Ron Brown (yep, a cousin) and the late Cecil Morris. We did very well with the flounders bedded up in the rock jetty. I remember, more than once, when we had to purchase extra lard cans (you don't remember those???) just so we could bring home all the fish we nailed. And, right now, 40-odd years later, I don't ever remember NOT having a good day diving at the Cape.

There's one avid fisherman I know, a good friend and former co-worker. He has been fishing since he was a little tyke, cleaning fish since he was almost big enough to reach the cleaning station at the Kure Beach (NC) Fishing Pier. We've been fishing together for better'n a decade now. And, we've done well. Cap'n Andy Everhart and I hit one of our "honey holes" again this week. The proof is in the pictures. A lot of work, some will say, for the half dozen keepers. Work? I wish all the work I had ever done was as enjoyable and rewarding.

Captain Andy Everhart, Southern Sportfishin



For me...you know, the guy who never leaves home without a camera (or 2, or 3)...I never come home empty handed. Even if we had not scored any fish, I would have brought home memories and more:

Like the placard says: I gave up fishing once. It was the worst day of my life.

Guns DO kill people....

...but, only in the hands of PEOPLE.

I didn't believe this until I sat in my chair, staring at a .45 Sig Sauer, a Ruger Mini 14 .223 carbine, a Russian SKS\ rifle, a Winchester Defender 12 gauge shotgun, and a Smith and Wesson model 29 .44 magnum revolver.

I stared at this arsenal of weapons for about two hours. All were loaded. And, at the end of the 120 minutes, there was not one dead person in the room. All of the firearms remained loaded and unfired. Each had an equal opportunity to conduct mayhem and leave in their wakes a lot of blood. But, lo and behold! Not one of those pieces even moved from their perches.

In that 120 minutes, you can find stats that will show the number of people killed in traffic accidents in the US. And, if you're interested enough, you can find the total estimated number of firearms, the total number of registed motor vehicles, and with a little math, determine the number of people-deaths per hour by guns and by cars.  

You could do that, but it would only confuse the issue.

The basic issue is a constitutional one.

No amendment gives any person the right to drive a car. Every state's DMV will tell you that. They don't have to give you a driver's license, even if you meet all the necessary requirements.

However, the Second Amendment to our Constitution DOES guarantee every free man the right to bear arms. From Thomas Jefferson, one of our wiser forefathers and leaders: No free man shall ever be debarred from the use of arms.

I'm just not sure how much simpler it can get.

 

Following is a heckuva piece of video from the 1990's.

A Texas girl talks to a bunch of anti-gun senators.

The senators, you'll note in the cutaways, are quiet, but squirming.

She's got their full, undivided attention, that's for sure.

She was a survivor of the massacre by a deranged man in Texas at a restaurant (sorry, but crazy people can kill, too. Being nuts is a legal defense, but nuts can leave you just as dead as a mafia hit man).
Well worth watching. And, worth sharing.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4069761537893819675#

 

 

Election Day

It's almost over, many say.
Not so.
It's only beginning.
If even the most conservative predictions come true, there will be a change in the US House of Representatives by the time the "day is done". Republicans will control that body of our government for the first time since 2007.
What good will that do? Only time will tell if it will make any real difference in our lifestyles.
You can bet, though, that it will shake up the way Washington has been doing business. Professional politicians are likely to feel much more vulnerable than they have in a long time. "We put you there and we can take you out" is a message that many are already hearing.
And, it's about time.
Ok, we'll wait, watch, and see if anything good comes of this, or whether the new blood will become as tainted as many of our current leaders in the nation's capitol.
We are watching. And, 2012 isn't that far away.
Ok, enough of that. At least for today.

On a much "funner" note.
Had a great time Monday night. I videotaped a new episode of a half hour fishing show, a show that Captain Andy Everhart and I had been producing for several years. Well, Southern Sportfishing is returning to television. For those in the Wilmington (NC) area, you'll be able to see it Saturday mornings beginning in the late spring of 2011. Between now and then, we'll shoot 26 episodes. Cap'n Andy has prepared some sponsorship packages that he is presenting to potential advertisers, and we are dusting off the poles and lures.
What? You thought the fishing season was over for this year? Absolutely not. November started out with a bang. We returned to one of our favorite trout holes (and, no, I'm not going to tell you where that is), and we scored well. Eight or nine strikes, four fish on the beach. We kept three, pretty much all we wanted for the dinner table.

Two weighed in just over three pounds, and one tipped the scales at 4 pounds. Some nice fish. Cap'n Andy's wife prepared a trout dinner before we headed for the hole (Andy had caught trout the day before, too). Never had 'em this way...but, you can bet that I will try this recipe sooner than later.
How it's done:
Sautee onions...one of my favorite things to kick off pretty much any recipe.
Slice up yellow squash, carrots and potatoes. All should be about the same thickness...cooks more evenly that way.
Layer the veggies in a glass dish. Add a small amount of olive oil...I like to use a pump-up bottle. It allows me to spray the veggies with olive oil, making it easier to evenly coat them. Salt and pepper, and anything else you like for seasoning.
Don't forget the onions.
Add trout filets (Cap'n Andy and I like to skin our filets, too) to the top of the veggie pile. Season the fish with whatever you like.
Cover with foil. Cook, as best I remember, on 450-degrees, for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes at 450.
The veggies are still slightly crunchy, not mush-y. Just the way I like them.
The fish is superb.
Thanks, Michelle, for a job well-done.

In the coming weeks and months, I'll keep you up to date on the fishing shows we produce. And, I'll let you know which station you can dial up and watch. Hopefully, in addition to the Wilmington market, we'll have some interest from stations in other areas.

I haven't forgotten about the Ethenol Scourge. I just picked up a little more info from out outboard motor manufacturer on how much more damage this corn-gasoline mix is doing to boat engines, and I'll be passing that info, along with some things you'll need to do in order to save your boat motors from an early death (not to mentio saving some of your hard-earned cash).
Stay tuned.

Election Time

Well, I finally did it. I voted early. What a breeze. No long lines. No waiting in the cold. No meeting friends that you haven't seen since the last election.

Interesting to see all the campaign signs in a corral just outside election hqs.What a misinformation overload at the last minute. I guess, though, that a few voters (likely many more than a "few") actually wait until the last second to decide which box to check.

Regardless of the outcome, if the forecasters are right, there's gonna be a real "change" this time.  If that "change of faces" actually happens, let's hope that the newly elected folks, the RETURNEES, as well as the senators who are not up for re-election until 2012 and 2014 get the message: we are tired of the same old rhetoric and we won't take it any more. To paraphrase Bill Cosboy, we put you in there and we can take you out.

It still amazes me that so many of us are so easily fooled. When a congressman "comes back to the district", with a check in his hands for a couple hundred thousand dollars, to give to a local, deserving organization, he/she gets his/her grip-n-grin picture in the newspaper, and is applauded as a hero. Let's examine this with my typically cynical eye. I think of that money in much the same way I think of the money that "paid professional solicitors" give to deserving organizations. Organizations, in those cases, contract with the solicitors who contact, usually by phone, folks like you and me (while we're eating dinner), wanting us to buy a ticket to some podunk event or another to "help out" the organization. Yes, it's for a good cause. But, as I've stated in another posting, the deserving organization gets as little as 7-percent of the funds collected. The rest of the money covers "expenses" of the solicitors.

How does this apply to the homespun congressmen? Glad you asked. Consider the congressman as that "paid, professional solicitor". You send a lot of your hard earned money to Washgonton in the form of taxes. The "paid, professional solicitors" take out their expenses and return, perhaps, 7-percent of your money to the district. You can consider the other 93% as expenses, or even "shipping and handling" charges. After all, the congressmen must fly to their districts in order to present the checks, right? Never mind that a first class stamp would do the trick.

Anyway, one more day. Then, another year or so until the "signs of the times" finally fade blow away. Since duly elected city councilmen and county commissioners don't seem eager to adopt regulatory ordinances forcing policiticians (including themselves) to remove their signs in a timely manner, maybe they'd consider requring those signs be made of a biodegradable substance that will become "one with nature" 45 days after it's erected. Now, there's an idea worth exploring.